What stands out worked out from the figures below

Oakham has the most affordable homes ($420k median).

Dunbarton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Oakham	Dunbarton
People
Population	1,639Lowest	3,097Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49±2.3Highest 26% above U.S.	48±3.7Lowest 23% above U.S.
	Oakham and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.2%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dunbarton and Oakham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.4%±2.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.4%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Oakham and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	39.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.8%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4%	3.8%±2 U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$102,000±$20kLowest 26% above U.S.	$124,348±$21kHighest 54% above U.S.
	Dunbarton and Oakham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$420,100±$20kLowest 26% above U.S.	$484,100±$33kHighest 46% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,174±$81Highest 17% below U.S.	$1,166±$70Lowest 17% below U.S.
	Oakham and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,103Lowest 32% above U.S.	$8,233Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	27.8%±69.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	54.7%±60.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dunbarton and Oakham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.	1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	39 minHighest 46% above U.S.	34 minLowest 27% above U.S.
Work from home	9.6%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	12.6%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dunbarton and Oakham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#33 of 120 in NH
School district	Quabbin	Dunbarton School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.